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Nigel Gann, a school governor, education consultant and school wellbeing consultant in the United Kingdom, in this commentary writes about the need to focus on the wellbeing of school staff. Among his suggestions are to focus on the full spectrum of staff when seeking to boost morale, consider the effect of staff morale on student achievement and measure staff wellbeing objectively.

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Students from private schools in England earned about 30% of all top scores on recent A-level exams, but made up 13.6% of test-takers, according to a recent analysis from the Independent Schools Council. "It is indicative of the significant added value provided by independent schools, due to factors such as intensive, focused teaching and smaller class sizes," Tracy Cook, of the ISC, said.

Recently released data from the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment show that top-performing countries had a greater focus on early education, according to Kris Perry, executive director of the First Five Years Fund. She writes in this blog post that such a focus "on the education and health of children from birth to age 5, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can lay the foundation for achievement in school, college, career and life."

A recent report finds that, in some cases, academy schools in England could be using secretive methods to select students that are driving an uptick in social segregation. Amid the continued growth in the number of academies, the Academies Commission suggests that admissions data be made more widely available. "In the interests of demonstrating fairness and accessibility, the commission believes that each academy should publish comprehensive data, including socio-economic data, about who applies to it and who is admitted," the report states.

Plans in Gaza to introduce Hebrew studies in high schools have created the need for additional classroom teachers. Now, the country's flagship university, Islamic University in Gaza City, has 19 students enroled in new Hebrew-language courses intended to produce qualified teachers. Ninth-grade students in 16 Gaza schools already are taking Hebrew courses, and there are plans under way to expand the language programme.

In this blog post by Emma Drury, an educator and Guardian Teacher Network contributing editor, educators in the United Kingdom examine the benefits of vertical teaching and how it can be implemented in other schools. Vertical teaching, in which mixed-age students are taught together, can lead to the advancement of younger students and benefit older students, who act as peer mentors, Drury suggests. Former headteacher Peter Barnard says the adoption of vertical teaching should include proper training, and schools should work to involve parents and avoid copying other schools' programmes.